Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Enrique Hernandez (14) and Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger (35) celebrate Hernandez’s two run homer in the third inning during their game against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Thursday, June 22, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

LOS ANGELES >> The Dodgers shuffled their pitching rotation to line up their three best starters to face the Colorado Rockies this weekend. That sentence doesn’t get written often, so it’s worth a look at how we got here.

Separated by a hair in the standings, the Dodgers, Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks have managed to turn the National League West into a three-team race with more than two weeks to play before the All-Star break. The three teams own the three best records in the NL. Only the Houston Astros have a better record in all of MLB.

Arizona (46-27) beat Colorado (47-28) 10-3 on Thursday and 16-5 on Wednesday to win a three-game series in Denver.

Colorado has spent 59 days in first place this year — 48 more than the Dodgers — and hasn’t spent a single day under .500. For a franchise that hasn’t had a winning season since 2010, the Rockies are in rare territory.

The Diamondbacks haven’t had a winning season since 2011, giving the NL West standings an even less traditional look.

The Dodgers have won four consecutive division titles. They have no World Series appearances to show for it, but they do have experience in these regular-season scenarios. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes that counts for something significant.

“How significant? We’ll find out at the end of the year,” he said. “I do think that having been there and a good bit of our guys have been there over the last not only two, three, four, five years, when you are in September we expect to be there.

“When you haven’t done it, it’s something to be adjusted to,” Roberts continued. “The last four or five years we’ve lived that, as far as legitimate expectations to play through October. I think it’s an advantage.”

Urías update

Pitcher Julio Urías is expected return to Los Angeles this weekend to have his left shoulder examined, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Urías hasn’t pitched since a Triple-A game June 10, after which he was diagnosed with inflammation.

Since then, however, Urías has not thrown a baseball. He relocated from Oklahoma City to the Dodgers’ Camelback Ranch facility in Arizona. The team hasn’t closed the book on getting further tests or a second opinion on Urías’ shoulder.

“It’s still kind of fuzzy, trying to sift through information,” Roberts said.

Urías, 20, graduated from the organization’s top pitching prospect to a member of the starting rotation last year. He posted a 5.40 ERA in five starts with the Dodgers to begin the 2017 season, then was optioned to the minors on May 21.

In six Triple-A starts, Urías was 3-0 with a 2.59 ERA.

Who’s at short?

Chris Taylor became the first Dodger other than Corey Seager or Kiké Hernandez to start a game at shortstop this season Thursday. On a rare day off for both Seager and center fielder Joc Pederson, Hernandez got the start in center.

Taylor has started more games in center field this season than Hernandez, so why not flip the two?

“Kiké has played a lot more center field (in his career). A fly-ball pitcher (Hyun-Jin Ryu),” Roberts said. “For me it just boiled down to who I felt more comfortable in center field.”

Carryover effect

Four Mets players — Wilmer Flores, Travis d’Arnaud, Jose Reyes and Yoenis Cespedes — had words for Yasiel Puig after Puig was slow to round the bases after hitting a home run Wednesday. Flores accused Puig of admiring his home run and disrespecting the game.

Mets manager Terry Collins was asked if any hard feelings would linger prior to Thursday’s game.

“You’re asking me to get in the minds of those guys and that’s impossible to do,” Collins said. “The Chase Utley thing was two years ago and yet I still hear guys talking about it. For me, I don’t worry about yesterday.”

Utley’s slide into second base in the 2015 National League Division Series broke the leg of then-Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada.

Also

New Lakers guard Lonzo Ball will throw the ceremonial first pitch before Friday’s game. Ball, who starred at Chino Hills High and UCLA, was the second player chosen in Thursday’s NBA draft. The Dodgers are co-owned by the Lakers’ president of basketball operations, Magic Johnson.